The present invention relates to a fishing apparatus and, more particularly, to a fishing apparatus employing a hollow fishing rod through which air is pumped to be discharged through a perforated tube at the end of the rod to produce bubbles aerating the water to create a disturbance under the water to attract fish.
It is well known that fish are often attracted to a promising feeding spot by a disturbance in the water such as bubbles or a small splash. The fish is apt to interpret the disturbance as indicating the presence of a smaller fish feeding near the site of the disturbance. When one casts a fishing lure into the water, the splash that occurs when the lure hits the water will often attract a fish to the fishing lure. Skilled fly fishermen develop a technique of maneuvering the fly about and on the surface of the water in such a way as to simulate the natural activity of an insect around the surface of the water and attract a fish.
Many artificial devices have been used to attract fish in the past. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,145 entitled Sound Producer for Fishing Apparatus which discloses a battery operated vibrator. The vibration is transmitted along the rod and line to the lure where it causes an audible tone which is intended to simulate the singing or droning tone of an insect. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,660 entitled Liquid Lure Ejecting Device Useful in Fishing there is disclosed a bulb placed adjacent the rod handle. The bulb may be squeezed to pump fish oil or the like through a tube running along the outside of the fishing rod into the water adjacet the end of the rod. U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,095 entitled Sport Fishing Apparatus discloses a motorized fishing rod which employs a motor to drive a flexible line for rotating a fishing lure while the rod is maintained still.
A number of hollow fishing rods have been used in the past which permit the fishing line to be disposed inside the pole to eliminate the line guides from the outside of the pole. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,509 entitled Eyeless Fishing Pole. One such hollow fishing rod is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,570 entitled Fishing Rod Pump Assembly. An airtight bladder is disposed inside the hollow rod. Air is pumped into the bladder by means of a manual bicycle-type pump extending from the end of the rod handle to regulate the stiffness of the fishing pole action. The disclosure indicates that, as the pressure inside the bladder is increased, the stiffness of the rod increases.
None of these devices disclose a hollow fishing rod equipped with a pump to pump air through the rod and discharge the air through a perforated tube to create bubbles under the surface of the water to attract a fish.